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Mary from Italy
09-09-14, 20:53
Woman wins permission to look at late father's adoption files

Court grants request on basis that father, his birth mother and adoptive parents are all known or assumed to be dead

http://www.theguardian.com/law/2014/sep/09/woman-father-adoption-files-court
maggie_4_7
10-09-14, 06:12
I like this news and hope it happens more often although I am sure some will disagree.
Merry
10-09-14, 08:38
I agree with you, Maggie.
Olde Crone
10-09-14, 09:05
I think the Judge is being rather naive in stating that "all parties are dead" - not necessarily so, the birth mother could still be alive. Also naive to think that the woman will not attempt to contact any descendants, of course she will, she won't be able to resist!

OC
Merry
10-09-14, 10:01
True, OC, but that would have also been the case had the lady's father decided to learn more about his adoption before his death.
Olde Crone
10-09-14, 11:07
Oh, I agree Merry, just think it was naive as a reason for allowing access! And of course, adoptees have to have mandatory counselling before they can access their adoption files. This lady won't.

OC
Tilly Mint
10-09-14, 12:12
I like this news and hope it happens more often although I am sure some will disagree.

Ooh, I like this too, Maggie!
Asa
10-09-14, 16:41
I think 80+ years after the adoption is a fair enough length of time. I do sort of feel living adoptees should have the option to state that we never wish our files to be accessed by anyone else.
Merry
11-09-14, 06:16
Asa, do you mean where the adoptee has seen the file or where they haven't or both?
Asa
11-09-14, 12:56
Both Merry. I haven't got any children so there would be no one who have justification to see it. But I'd like the choice to not let anyone look at mine.
Nanny Ann
11-09-14, 21:51
I was adopted and the record no longer exists. I know the court which dealt with the adoption but little else. My adoptive parents and birth mother are no longer alive and with no registered father for me it would not be a problem. But what of the families of the birth mother, this could be a shock for them if they are unaware of the past secrets.
Kit
12-09-14, 03:28
OC the birth mother could still be alive. She would be 100 now if she was 15 at the time.

It's a hard call to open the files though. I'm thinking of one where the adoptee has seen the file and told me bits and pieces. I definitely would not want someone to turn up and tell me my Grandma had given a child up for adoption in those circumstances.

Details of parents etc though, I see no harm in, after a decent period.
Joy Dean
14-09-14, 20:14
I have mixed feelings about this.
The birth family may have no knowledge of the person.